I got up early this morning simply because I wanted to see Reddit and so many other sites actually go black, and throughout the day, have submerged myself in article after article, tweet after tweet, and post after post.  A most phenomenal day!

A developer friend of mine posted this link to his Facebook page – and he is the kind of guy that when he posts something internet-related, I check it out.  SOPA/PIPA is not just about the money so many corporations are losing due to piracy, but also the money they are not gaining because the internet now allows an entrepreneur to cut of the middle-man.  I am only going to include a few excerpts here as this article is worthy of going to and reading in it’s entirety.

By Lance Ulanoff

I had an epiphany today. The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, was not written by people who fundamentally misunderstand how the web works. They understand all too well, and want to change it forever….

… star-making power was rapidly transferring from the hands of a few in Hollywood, the publishing houses of New York City and elsewhere to, well, everyone. YouTube is a perfect example. People create their own movies and music videos and, thanks to YouTube’s network, distribute it to, potentially, millions. They create their own following, even their own revenue stream (thank you, Google AdSense). People can now self-publish books and, sometimes, make oodles of money. Photographers post pictures on Flickr and Google+ and generate thousands of views. They no longer need a magazine or newspaper to reach an audience.

It’s not just books, music and movies. The Internet is empowering people to create all sorts of businesses and distribution systems. They leapfrog the old hurdles, ignore the gatekeepers and go straight to the public.

Click HERE to read the article in Mashable in it’s entirety.

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